The San Jose Chamber Music Society will not present any concerts in the Fall 2020 season. We have an exciting lineup of artists for Winter and Spring 2021, but are still evaluating if it will be safe for our audience to attend, and for the traveling artists to perform. We will update our pages as the pandemic progresses.
Our 2019 - 2020 Concert Schedule
Programs are subject to change
Printable Schedule: SJCMS 2019 - 2020 Brochure (PDF)
Our 6 Subscription Concerts
7:00 PM - Sunday Oct. 20, 2019 |
Calidore String Quartet (New York City) The Calidore String Quartet plays Ravel, Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw – and Beethoven! “deep reserves of virtuosity and impressive “intellect and expression” – Los Angeles Times. |
7:30 PM - Saturday Nov. 9,
2019 |
Modigliani Quartet (Paris) with pianist Jon Nakamatsu (Silicon Valley) Modigliani Quartet performs Mozart, Stravinsky, Mendelssohn – and the Brahms Piano Quintet with Jon Nakamatsu! “The best evening of string quartet playing at HMA in 20 years.” – Lee Eiseman, Director, Harvard Musical Association. “Mr. Nakamatsu delivered both a graceful singing quality and assertive |
7:30 PM - Saturday Jan. 25,
2020 |
Gould Piano Trio with Robert Plane clarinet (all U.K.) The Gould Piano Trio with Robert Plane return playing Beethoven’s Opus 1 #1 - & Frühling & Dvořák trios! ”Pure Gould…trio playing at its best.” – The Strad.
“an eloquent and expressive voice” – The Times of London. |
7:00 PM - Sunday Feb. 16, 2020 |
Phaeton Piano Trio (Weimar, Germany) Introducing the Phaeton Piano Trio playing newly-discovered Beethoven & his “Ghost” Trio - & Mendelssohn! “Watch out for [violinist] Friedemann Eichhorn.” – The Strad “Peter Hörr is a fantastic cellist.” – The Guardian. “Florian Uhlig plays in masterful fashion.” – Süddeutsche Zeitung. |
7:00 PM - Sunday Mar. 22, 2020 |
[Canceled] Playing Saint-Saens Quartet Op.112 & Beethoven C# Minor Op.131! “Modern”, “dramatic”, “superb”, “wickedly attentive” and “with a hint of rock 'n roll energy” |
7:00 PM - Sunday Apr. 26, 2020 |
SJCMS debut – playing Britten, Mozart, Beethoven, and Dvořák! “A hip, unstuffy, and malleable group of high-quality chamber musicians” raves the SF Classical Voice. “…an amazing amount of talent!” – examiner.com. New York City-based Oboist James Austin Smith’s performances are “virtuosic, “dazzling” and “brilliant” – New York Times |
Concerts are held at the Concert Hall at the San Jose State University School of Music and Dance at One Washington Square in downtown San Jose. Each event begins with a pre-concert talk forty-five minutes before the concert.
October 20, 2019 -
(Sunday at 7:00PM)
PROGRAM
MUSIC
Ravel’s Quartet won Debussy’s admiration, and innovates within its classic form.
ARTISTS
November 9, 2019 -
(Saturday at 7:30PM)
PROGRAM
MUSIC
After its dissonant introduction, Mozart’s Quartet radiates beneficence and consonance.
ARTISTS
January 25, 2020 -
(Saturday at 7:30PM)
PROGRAM
MUSIC
Haydn approved of Beethoven’s
witty, vivacious first published piano trio and its mastery of
high-Classic style. Beethoven elevated the trio form through tonal
manipulations and by adding a Scherzo.
The musical language of Austrian pianist/teacher Carl Frühling’s clarinet trio is “Brahmsian” Romantic.
Dvořák’s magnificent third trio combines Viennese Classicism with his own Romantic and Slavic sensibilities.
ARTISTS
The Gould Trio—28 years strong—is long recognized as one of the most outstanding piano trios (The Washington Post likened it to the Beaux Arts Trio). Together with celebrated clarinetist Robert Plane (“an eloquent and expressive voice” (The Times of London), they’re praised for rediscovering unduly neglected repertoire (e.g. Frühling’s trio). Their impressive discography includes Beethoven’s trios. ”Pure Gould…trio playing at its best.” (The Strad).February 16, 2020 -
(Sunday at 7:00PM)
PROGRAM
MUSIC
The Phaeton Trio treats us to a newly discovered piano trio fragment by Beethoven, plus his Ghost Trio—named for its ominous middle movement. The Ghost shows Beethoven’s ability to work up pattern themes interestingly and expansively, and to convey deeply evocative moods.
ARTISTS
March 22, 2020 -
(Sunday at 7:00PM)
PROGRAM
MUSIC
Saint-Saëns’ late Romantic Quartet Op.121 – his first, at the ripe age of 64 – is hailed as a powerful and original masterwork of French quartet literature. Its magnificent 2nd movement is a tremendous tour de force.
ARTISTS
“Modern”, “dramatic”, “superb”, “wickedly attentive”, “with a hint of rock 'n roll energy” are a few ways critics describe the St. Lawrence String Quartet. With two EMI Grammy-nominations, and celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2019, the SLSQ galvanizes listeners minds and emotions both on tour and at Stanford as resident ensemble since 1998. “...precision, warmth and an electricity of playing...” (NY Times).April 26, 2020 -
(Sunday at 7:00PM)
PROGRAM
MUSIC
Britten gives engaging voice to the high, clear oboe timbre in his Phantasy.
ARTISTS
Top Bay Area musicians founded Ensemble San Francisco in 2013 to do main-stage performances and to bring chamber music to children, youth and elders. “A hip, unstuffy, and malleable group of high-quality chamber musicians” raves the SF Classical Voice.